STAR WARS: VADER DARK VISIONS #3: The Price of Obsession

First of all, this isn’t a love story. This is a disturbing vignette of misplaced and costly romantic obsession that can only end one way and does.

Hallum writes this from two perspectives. The reality and then the romanticized version as seen through the eyes of the besotted medical tech. It’s very clear she is obsessed with Vader who is an ominous presence the whole issue. The disparity between the techs mental fantasy interpretations and the actual physical reality of her encounters with Vader are made clear cut and the use of the “romance novel” cover art style as I call it to show her mental fantasy interpretations as her obsession deepens versus what actually happens are a deft touch by the art team of David Lopez and Javi Pina.

I am not normally a fan of how Lopez draws eyes but it works here as his style communicates her obsession not only through her actions but also in her eyes from the start. The techs fantasies become more and more elaborate until she finally confronts Vader in real life to confess her feelings. In the interests of remaining relatively, spoiler-free let’s just say the last page and panel confirms that in no way has this series tried to present Vader as anything more than the Dark Lord of Sith he is and for that Hallum is to be applauded.

The secondary theme here is also really interesting to me. Vader is in the medical techs orbit because he is very much more cybernetic enhanced machine than man. The need for him to have a medical team available to help when say his cybernetic parts are damaged in fighter combat is something I cannot recall ever encountering being explored before. Hallum keeps Vader true to form as dark, relentless and menacing with zero patience for anything he perceives as incompetence and there is a clear impression from the page that Vader hates having to undergo the maintenance he requires.

Muntsa Vicente’s coloring is good and as usual, Joe Caramagna’s lettering is tidy, professional and helps the story read easily.